SLFP holds 54th annual conference

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 09:17 GMT]
More than 20,000 participated in the 54th Annual conference of Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) which was held Tuesday at Colombo Horse Race Square, political sources in Colombo said. The conference rally started at 12 noon from Colombo Campell Park and marched through the baseline road, via Reed Avenue and reached the meeting venue at 6pm. Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumarathunga and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha joined the rally at Reed Avenue and walked to Horse Race Square, political sources in Colombo said.


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Kumaratunge declines life presidency of SLFP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 11:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has turned down the decision Central Committee and the All Island Executive Committee of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to make her life president of the party stating that will tarnish SLFP's image as a dictatorial party, SLFP sources said.


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SLMC leader meets UN special envoy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 17:56 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) said Sunday that the discussion it held with UN special envoy Mr.Lakhdar Brahimi for about an hour has given confidence that the Muslim community would also be made a party in the future peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Kumaratunge to be made lifetime President of SLFP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 17:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge who arrived Saturday morning after five day official visit to China is to preside over the emergency meeting of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party's (SLFP) policy making central committee Sunday evening amid speculation that she is likely to dissolve parliament and call for general election in addition to presidential election as directed by the Supreme Court, political sources said.
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Sri Lanka Navy to get new Commander

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 August 2005, 11:28 GMT]
Rear Admiral Wasantha Karanagoda, Eastern Commander is to be promoted as Vice Admiral and appointed as the Commander of Sri Lanka Navy Monday at a ceremony to be held in the President's House. The outgoing SLN Chief Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri is to be promoted full-fledged Admiral on September 01 and is to continue as the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) in charge of Sri Lanka's defenses and the security establishment, according to defence sources in Colombo.
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SL presidential election dates to be announced next week

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 16:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Election Commissioner Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake Friday resumed discussions with his officials to prepare for the next presidential election, which is to be held before the end of this year according to the ruling of the Supreme Court delivered Friday morning. The Commissioner of Elections is expected to announce the dates of nomination and the polling before the end of August, commission sources said.
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SC to deliver order on presidential election controversy on Friday

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 13:13 GMT]
Five- member bench of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday put off the order in the presidential election date controversy for Friday. Earlier it heard the arguments on behalf the petition of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party and counter petitions of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), Liberal Party (LP) and Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) along with the statement filed by the Commissioner of Election and the submission by the Attorney General on the constitutionality regarding fixing the date for the next presidential election, legal sources said.
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Anura Bandaranaike sworn in as Sri Lanka's new FM

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 12:12 GMT]
Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, the brother of the Sri Lanka's President Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, was sworn in as the country's new Foreign Minister Monday evening. Mr. Bandaranaike succeeds Lakshman Kadirgamar who was assassinated by unidentified gunmen a week ago.
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SC begins inquiry into presidential controversy

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 06:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka's two main political parties, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are scheduled to inaugurate their presidential election campaigns this week in Colombo, expecting that the 5-member bench of the Supreme Court would decide in favor of such election should be held this year.
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SL parliament approves State of Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 12:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday adopted a government motion to extend the State of Emergency for a month after a one-day debate with a majority of 103 votes. 124 MPs voted for the motion and 21 against. President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge declared the State of Emergency soon after the killing of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, and summoned the special session of the parliament to approve it on Thursday. According to the Constitution, the State of Emergency should be approved by parliament after ten days of its declaration.
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SL Parliament begins debate on ER amid chaos

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 05:51 GMT]
SL Deputy Minister of Defense, Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, in his opening speech in Sri Lankan Parliament on the special debate on Emergency Regulations on Thursday declared that "the alternate way" would be considered, if failing to find solution to any problem through negotiations with his government. Following his opening remarks, Mr. M.K. Eelavenathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, followed with his comments. TNA MP's speech was disturbed by Mr. Mervyn Silva, Deputy Minister, and Mr. Wimal Weeravanse, JVP's parliamentary group leader. Pandemonium prevailed for about fifteen minutes in the Lankan parliament.
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"War is not an option" - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 09:42 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Wednesday they are committed to ceasefire and would return to the Norwegian peace process if the February 2002 truce agreement was implemented in full. In an interview to Reuters, LTTE’s Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said the Tigers are ready to defend the Tamils from attack. "War is not an option," he told Reuters. "But if war is thrust upon the Tamil people, we will have no option but to face it... So it's in the hands of the Sri Lanka government", he said.
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Parliament to meet Thursday to approve ER

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 08:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge using her powers conferred on her by the Constitution has reconvened the parliament on Thursday (August 18) by an Extra Ordinary Gazette Notification issued Monday midnight. The sittings of the parliament was put off for 22 August after the conclusion of the two day debate on the P-TOMS last Friday.
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Buddhist rituals mark Kadirgamar's State Funeral

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 15:55 GMT]
The funeral of slain Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was held with full state honours at the Independence Square at 6 p.m. Monday. Late Kadirgamer's son Ravi lit the funeral pyre after sunset according to Buddhist tradition. Several thousand people paid their last respects as the remains of kadirgamar was taken in procession to the Independence Square from his official residence at the Wijerama Mawatha. From the beginning of the drive of the Independence square to the venue where the funeral orations were made by the religious leaders and the Prime minister on behalf of the Sri Lanka government, the military parade accompanied the cortage.
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SL Presidential election in 2005- Election Commissioner

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 14:39 GMT]
Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner of Elections Monday explained his decision to hold the next presidential election this year in a letter to Supreme Court sent through his lawyer Mr.Elmo Fernando Monday saying that he considered the Gazette Notification issued on December 22, 1999 on which date the incumbent President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge took oaths for her second term as valid legal document, legal sources said.
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Thousands mourn Kadirgamar, Colombo security tightened

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 09:07 GMT]
Thousands of people were seen standing in queues to pay their last respects to the remains of kadirgamar at his official residence situated at the highly residential Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo. The capital city has been put under tight security following the arrival of foreign dignitaries including the Defence Minister of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and the Indian Foreign Minister Mr. Natwar Singh for the funeral of the slain Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on Monday.
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Blockade to LTTE held areas in Trinco - MP complains

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 07:17 GMT]
Security forces are still enforcing the ban on the movement of people and vehicles to and from the LTTE controlled areas in Muttur east division and Eachchilampathu division in the Trincomalee district causing untold suffering since Saturday morning, said Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian in a letter to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga.
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UNP, JVP react to Kadirgamar slaying

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 20:44 GMT]
In the wake of the assassination Friday of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party, whilst condemning the killing, accused the government of being lax in providing him with security, particularly amid reports he was close to the renegade LTTE commander who defected to the Army, Karuna. And in its vehement reaction, the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) mourned Mr. Kadirgamar as one of their own and launched a bitter tirade against the LTTE.
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Police arrests Tamil owners of Bullers Road house

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 08:07 GMT]
Police has arrested a Tamil couple, Mr. Lakshman Thalaiyasingam, 58, and Mrs. Vipiyan Selvalogini Thalaiyasingam, the owners of the house located at 42, Bullers Lane where the sniper had taken position to strike at Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar. Mr Thalaiyasingam, an executive officer in a leading Colombo business establishment, and his wife were at the house at the time of the incident and have told Police that they had no knowledge that the assassin had taken position at the top floor of their house. The couple told the Police that the top floor was rarely used by them.
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Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 00:29 GMT]
Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs and a close confidante of Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, was shot Friday night by a sniper near his residence and later succumbed to his injuries. During his 1994-2001 tenure as foreign minister in People's Alliance (PA) government, he was widely credited for his relentless campaign in foreign capitals to brand the Liberation Tigers as a terrorist organization and to ban the LTTE. Mr Kadirgamar was held in high esteem by most of the South for his vehement opposition to separatism and for his passionate defense of the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. Mr Kadirgamar never held an elected office.
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